Sports

This next device is one that I want to purchase on sheer impulse alone. I mean, look at the guy in the photo, he’s truly the poster child of “footloose and fancy free”.

And yes, it is all because of the Powerbocks, those odd contraptions that he wears about his feet. They each contain a foot-plate with snow-board like bindings, and they are fastened just below the knee. The three-foot long spring is the real source of the bouncing power, and allows the user to release stored potential energy like a walking trampoline.

Designer Alexander Boeck was apparently inspired by kangaroos for this invention, as the Powerbocks allows the user to extend their own Achilles tendon to accomplish super-human jumps.

For those of you that are just dying to capture those ultimate moments when you’re out on your bike or any other situation where you’re doing stunts, there is this USB Action Camera. It can be strapped inside a car, onto a bike or even to the top of your helmet (which hopefully you’re wearing). Then you can show off both your awesome and not so awesome moves. You could even use it to capture moments when your friends are doing something particularly stupid.

I’m not certain how this pedal-powered monorail system got to be called the Shweeb, but I don’t really care. And you got to admit, it is a very cool invention for something that rhymes with “dweeb”.

I mean, who wouldn’t want to travel in a transparent monorail car that moves not by machine, but by the user’s command? So go ahead and make those phone calls and text messages while you are behind the wheel. All you have to worry about is the car in front of you, and you can stop anytime. By the way, the Shweeb “car” moves faster than an ordinary bike.

This Climbstation isn’t a video-game accessory to an outdoor version of PlayStation, but it is definitely one of the most technological ways to train for the grueling sport of rock climbing.

The climbing platform itself is 150 centimeters wide with about 90 holds that can be placed wherever the user wants. It can also tilt with an angle that adjusts from +15 to -30 degrees for an added challenge.

From what I can tell, the ClimbStation is like a vertical treadmill that revolves at a top speed of 17 meters per minute. In fact, the Climbstation can automatically adjust the scrolling speed to match the user’s climbing speed, or lack thereof. I’m guessing that the padding is placed underneath in case the climber cannot keep up.

I recently covered the Lightlane, a device that can project a bike lane for bikers. This improves bike safety, just like the new Nike Hindsight.

The Nike Hindsight are special glasses designed to increase peripheral vision on each side by 25 percent. I suppose that these will look better than the mirrors that I see on some types of biker helmets.

I don’t think mirrors are involved in making the Hindsight work. These glasses use Fresnel lenses, which are the same wide aperture and short focal length type used by lighthouses. So you could probably see what is behind you in some sort of curvy fashion, I would imagine.

The Glastonbury Solar Concept Tent definitely qualifies as Coolest Gadgets material, as it has more gadgets on it than MacGyver’s knife. The U.K. company Orange has called the Glastonbury as “the tent of the future”, but this is one that I want to take “out on the rough” right now.

The tent has photovoltaic fabric, specially coated solar threads woven into the fabric. It can capture the rays of the sun and use them for some juice later. Yes, you don’t worry about your GPS or mobile phone going dead on your next camping trip. Not only that, the tent has a wireless control hub that keeps track of the energy generated and consumed. This hub has an LCD screen and even has a wireless Internet signal.

Life is markedly challenging for the disabled. But what’s always impressed me is how they never let that challenge really define who they are or limit the life they live. And when technology helps in that regard, so many of life’s passions – namely golf – suddenly come into view. And with Paragolfer, it’s flat out the truth.

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